The invention relates to a quick-connect and release connector for attaching, for example, a mop handle to a mop head or the like.
Mops, brooms, paint rollers, etc. conventionally incorporate handles which are removable from the operating head of the implement. It is conventional with brooms and paint rollers at least, to use a threaded connector between the handle and the implement head. Mops, on the other hand, due to the fact that the mop head wears out long before the handle, have long used various types of connection mechanisms to connect the mop head with the handle. Quite often these connection mechanisms have employed rivets, bolts, screws, etc. which must be removed and reinstalled when the head is removed from the handle. This tends to be a time-consuming operation and may be beyond the skill level of the typical relatively unskilled worker who uses the mop.
Also the prior connectors between handle and implement have been difficult to align and assemble and prone to excessive wear from the repeated removal and reinstallation of the rivets, bolts, etc. Furthermore, these designs have been unable to withstand the considerable tensile, shear and torsional forces constantly imposed upon, for example a mop head, during typical use.
It is not unusual for an institutional user, such as a hospital, fast food restaurant or the like, to wear out a mop head in as little as a few days. The prior art connection designs have tended to be rather complex, expensive, and have greatly added to the cost, bulk and weight of the typical mop head.
It is clear then, that a simple, reliable, and inexpensive quick-release connector for connecting handles to mop heads, broom heads, paint rollers and the like is needed. It is also clear that such a connector should be simple to operate, able to withstand the considerable stresses placed upon it during mopping, sweeping, etc, and should be economically discardable with the mop head.